You Can't Save Everyone
by Tyger Magick
Summary: A twist of fate causes problems for Jim and Blair
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay just something I was fooling with. Let me know if I should continue.  
  
Blair was driving towards home. He had had a late night at the university. It was around midnight or so, so there weren't many cars on the road. He yawned and rubbed his left eye. All he was thinking about was getting home and getting to bed.  
  
Suddenly out of no where a young woman ran in front of his car.  
  
"WHOA!" Blair yelled as he swerved his car.  
  
Luckily there was no one else on the road so he didn't hit anything when he went into the opposite lane. He stopped the car and jumped out.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked the woman walking over to her.  
  
She was young. Probably in her early twenties. She had long, raven black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a black shirt and jean jacket. Her blue eyes were wide and frantic.  
  
"You're bleeding," He exclaimed seeing blood trickling down the side of her face.  
  
"Please, you've got to help me!" She said fearfully. "He's after me!"  
  
"Hold on a second," Blair said. "Who's after you?"  
  
As soon as he finished the question two men turned the corner and fired a shot at them. Blair and the woman both ducked and luckily the man missed.  
  
"Nevermind," Blair said. "I'll ask later. Get in the car!"  
  
The two of them raced to the car and Blair took off. Once they were a few blocks away he looked over at the woman who was sitting next to him.  
  
"Who were those guys?"  
  
"You can drop me off here," She said ignoring his question.  
  
"What?" Blair said. "No way. You need to go to a hospital."  
  
"NO! No hospitals, no police. Just drop me off. I'll be fine."  
  
"Look at least come back to my place so you can clean up. Then if you want to leave, you can."  
  
The woman looked over at him with leery eyes.  
  
"You don't have to do that. I'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah, sure you will," Blair said still going towards the loft. "I'm Blair Sandburg by the way."  
  
The woman looked out the window.  
  
"Telling me your name won't hurt."  
  
She glanced over at him. "Savannah."  
  
Blair pulled up to the loft and they got out.  
  
"Look, I really shouldn't be bothering you," She said as she got out of the car.  
  
"It's not a bother," Blair said walking over to her.  
  
He went to take her arm, but she pulled away.  
  
"Take it easy," Sandburg said. "I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
"Look just leave me alone," She said as she started to walk away.  
  
"Savannah come on," Blair said.  
  
She stopped but she didn't turn around.  
  
"Savannah," He said as he walked over to her.  
  
He walked around her to see that her face was ghostly pale.  
  
"Hey are you all right?"  
  
Her knees buckled and Blair caught her as she fell.  
  
"Savannah!"  
  
Just then Jim came out of the house.  
  
"Chief, what's going on?"  
  
"Jim, man come over here and help me."  
  
The Sentinel ran down the stairs and scooped Savannah out of Blairs arms.  
  
"What the hell happened?" He asked as they walked up the stairs and into the loft.  
  
"I don't know she just ran in front of my car. Some guys were chasing her, but she wouldn't tell me why."  
  
Jim laid her on the couch. "Why didn't you take her to the hospital?"  
  
"She's wouldn't go. She said no hospitals and no cops."  
  
Jim looked at him. "So you brought her here?"  
  
"Where else was I supposed to take her?"  
  
Jim sighed. "Look go get some warm water and clean cloths."  
  
"You got it," Blair said walking away.  
  
Jim turned his attention back to Savannah who was moaning. Her eyes fluttered and finally opened.  
  
"Who are you?" She whispered.  
  
"Jim Ellison," He told her.  
  
She started to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down.  
  
"Take it easy. You've got a pretty nasty gash on your head."  
  
Blair came back over and handed Jim the washcloths and water. Jim wet one of them and brought it towards her face. She flinched and pushed herself back into the couch.  
  
"Just relax. I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
She remained tense as he started cleaning the blood off her face.  
  
"Savannah, you want to tell me what happened back there?" Jim asked. "Why were those guys after you?"  
  
"They thought I was cute," She replied sarcastically.  
  
"I'm sure," Jim said. "That doesn't explain why you don't want to go to the cops or to the hospital."  
  
"Look it's not your concern." She said pushing his hand away. Savannah sat up and swung her legs off the couch.  
  
"Actually it is," Jim told her putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Jim listened and heard her heart beat speed up.  
  
"What are you going to do to me?" She asked nervously.  
  
"Calm down," The Sentinel said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you but you have to tell me what's going on."  
  
She glared up at him. "What's in it for you?"  
  
Jim pulled his shield and showed it to her. "Nothings in it for me."  
  
Her eyes widened as she looked from the shield to Jim. Then her gaze switched to Sandburg.  
  
"I told you no cops," She seethed as she bolted for the door.  
  
Jim caught her around the waist and pulled her back to the couch. "Calm down."  
  
She cried out as she her back made contact to Jims chest. Sentinel and Guide exchanged a glance.  
  
"Look, Savannah, Jims a good friend of mine. He just wants to help."  
  
She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "If they find out that I'm here with a cop, I'm dead."  
  
"Yeah well it looks like to me your dead either way, so why don't you just tell us what's going on."  
  
Sandburg kneeled in front of her. "Look I said I'd help you and I meant it. We'll protect you from who ever's trying to hurt you."  
  
The first tear slid down her cheek as she shook her head. "You can't protect me from these men." She sniffled. "Please let go of me."  
  
Jim did as she asked. Savannah scooted back towards the corner of the couch and drew her legs to her chest.  
  
"You don't understand."  
  
"Then explain it to us."  
  
She looked over at Jim as more tears slid down her face. She shook her head and instantly regretted it as a pain shot through her head.  
  
"Are you all right?" Blair asked. She nodded.  
  
"Chief why don't you make her some of that herbal tea of yours," Jim said. "It'll probably make her feel better."  
  
Sandburg nodded. "No problem." He stood up and walked into the kitchen.  
  
Jim turned and looked at the young woman sitting in front of him. With her arms wrapped around her knees like that she looked very young and very vulnerable. Which made Jim think of his next question.  
  
"Savannah how old are you?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Curiousity,"  
  
"Twenty three." She responded.  
  
Jim raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"  
  
"I think I know how old I am."  
  
"You don't look twenty three."  
  
She shrugged. "What can I say?"  
  
"You can say what's going on," Jim told her.  
  
"Can I use your bathroom?" She asked, ignoring his statement.  
  
The Sentinel nodded. "It's right over there."  
  
She got up slowly and stood there for a minute. She wanted to make sure she had her bearing. Once the dizziness passed she walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.  
  
Blair came back from the kitchen. He set the tea on the table and sat in the chair.  
  
"Where's Savannah?"  
  
"In the bathroom."  
  
"So what do you think?"  
  
Jim shrugged. "I think she's scared."  
  
"Well that much is obvious. What should we do?"  
  
"I don't know what we can do Chief. If she doesn't talk to us we can't help her."  
  
Savannah took that moment to walk out of the bathroom. She walked back over to the couch, but didn't sit down. She stood there with her arms wrapped around herself.  
  
"Look I really shouldn't be here. You guys have been a great help and all, but I'm gonna get out of here."  
  
She started walking towards the door.  
  
"Where are you going to go?" Jim asked.  
  
She stopped, but didn't turn around. Jim stood up and walked over behind her.  
  
"If these guys are as bad as you say they are what's going to stop them from finding you?"  
  
Savannah turned to face him. "Look I'm scared all right. I know they're going to kill me, but I'm going to make it as hard for them as I can. I don't want two more deaths on my conscience besides me own all right?"  
  
"No, it's not all right. You don't have to die. We can help, but you have to talk to us."  
  
She looked away and sighed.  
  
"What do you say?" Jim asked. "Let us help you?"  
  
She looked back at him and nodded.  
  
~~~TBC..PLEASE REVIEW!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Sorry it took so long to post the next chapter. I had writers block for a while. Anyways please review!!!  
  
Savannah sipped on the tea, grimaced and put it down. "What's in that stuff?"  
  
Blair opened his mouth to answer, but Savannah held up a hand. "Never mind I don't want to know."  
  
"Come on Savannah, stop stalling," Jim said seriously.  
  
The young woman sighed. "It's a long story are you sure you want to here it?"  
  
Jim nodded.  
  
"My mom, she was a big drug addict. Her drug of choice was heroine. I mostly took care of everything. I was working since I was fourteen." She sighed. "Um when I was seventeen she got into some real trouble. She owed a lot of money of money to this dealer." Savannah's voice was quivering. "He was going to kill her so I cut a deal with him. I'd work for him if he left her alone."  
  
"He accepted?" Jim asked.  
  
Savannah nodded. "He figured that me selling for him was better than killing my mom and getting nothing."  
  
"So you've been selling drugs since you were sixteen?" Blair asked.  
  
"It's not something I'm proud of okay!" She said angrily. "I didn't want to do it, but if I didn't he was going to kill my mom!"  
  
"So what happened that he wants to kill you?" Jim asked.  
  
She wrapped her arms around herself. "He um, I mean."  
  
Jim put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched. "It's all right. Just tell us."  
  
Savannah pulled herself from Jims grip and wrapped her arms around herself. "He gave me some stuff to sell. He said I had to meet this guy, a regular client. So I went and I gave him the stuff." She began crying. She looked at both men almost hysterically. "I didn't know he'd poisoned it. I swear. The g-g-guy he injected himself and t-t-then." She trailed off and started sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
Jim and Blair exchanged a glance. Savannah took a few seconds to pull herself together.  
  
"I..I ran after that," She sniffled. "I couldn't go back."  
  
"But?" Jim coaxed.  
  
"But he has a lot of friends and they found me."  
  
"Is that what happened to your back?" Blair asked.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She asked.  
  
"Come on Savannah," Blair said. "We both saw what happened when you're back touched Jim's chest."  
  
She looked down. "I'm fine."  
  
"Then you won't mind if we take a look," Jim said.  
  
She jumped off the couch. "No!"  
  
"We're not going to hurt you," The Sentinel said.  
  
Savannah backed up. "Am I going to go to jail?" She asked.  
  
"No," Blair immediately answered. "I mean it wasn't you're fault. Right Jim?"  
  
Savannah and Blair both looked at him.  
  
"Chief I can't promise that. I mean honestly I should take her down town right now."  
  
Savannah shook her head. "I knew I shouldn't have come here."  
  
"Look Savannah, I'm going to do everything I can to help you," Jim told her standing up.  
  
"Yeah sending me to jail is going to help."  
  
"I didn't say I was going to arrest you did I?"  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.  
  
"All right, let me see what I can do. First thing I need to know is the name of the guy who's after you."  
  
"No way! If he knew I turned him in he wouldn't just kill me, he'd torture me before he killed me!"  
  
"Look Savannah, I'm not going to let this guy touch you okay? I can't protect you from him if I don't know who he is."  
  
Savannah turned away from them. She didn't know what to do. He was after all a cop. She couldn't trust him. She couldn't truly trust anyone. Everyone in her life had betrayed her. Even so she didn't see what choice she had. It was either stay here with them or go out and deal with the people who were trying to kill her.  
  
"Michael D'Angelo." She finally stated.  
  
Blair gasped. "Michael Death D'Angelo?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"He's the biggest drug lord in the tri-state area," Jim said. "We've been trying to nail him for months."  
  
"I'm happy for you," She stated.  
  
"If you testify against him we can put him away for good!" Jim exclaimed.  
  
She didn't answer and kept her back to them.  
  
"Savannah," Jim said.  
  
She turned around.  
  
"Let us help you."  
  
She hugged herself tighter, but nodded.  
  
"All right," Jim said. "Then let us start by seeing cleaning up your wounds all right?"  
  
She nodded again. Jim walked behind her. Again he heard her heart speed up when he was close to her. She kept her arms crossed over her chest.  
  
"Savannah I can't look at your back if you don't take off the jacket."  
  
Slowly, she began to ease herself out of the jacket. Blair, who was still in front of her, saw the grimace on her face just from doing that. Jim helped her and took the jacket from her, draping it over the couch.  
  
Jim lifted up the back of her shirt. "My god."  
  
Blair walked around to see what Jim was at. He didn't say anything his jaw just dropped. There were numerous lashes, bruises, and welts all over her back. Some of them were fresh and some of them were scarred over.  
  
"Did D'Angelo do that to you?" Blair asked.  
  
She shrugged. "Some of it. Some of it his flunkies did."  
  
"They get a kick out of beating you?" Jim asked.  
  
She sighed. "It's what happens when you refuse to sell."  
  
"So he forced you?" Blair questioned.  
  
"After the first few beatings he doesn't have to force you."  
  
"So if he hasn't had to force you in a while then what is the new bruising from?" Jim inquired.  
  
Savannah pulled away from them. "He got bored every once in a while."  
  
"Chief do me a favor and go get my robe from the bathroom."  
  
"No problem." Blair said.  
  
He went to the bathroom and came back a minute later with a black robe. Jim took it from him and walked over to Savannah.  
  
"Here." Jim said holding out to her.  
  
She took it from him and turned to face him. "What am I supposed to do with this."  
  
"Go put it on so I can take care of your back."  
  
Savannah threw it back at him. "I don't need you to play doctor. It's bad enough you're a cop."  
  
"And I'm a cop who's going to take you to the hospital if you don't go in the bathroom and change," Jim said holding the robe out again.  
  
Savannah sighed, took the robe and walked to the bathroom.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~Please Review!!!! 


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I know it's been FOREVER since I've updated, but give a girl a break. My laptop crashed, and I got engaged, so things have been a little hectic. Anyways I promise I will have chapters up with in days of each other. Please Review!!  
  
Savannah came out a few minutes later in Jim's robe. It was extremely big on her, causing it to drag on the floor. She had to hold a bunch of it with her hands to keep from tripping on it.  
  
Savannahs heart was pounding wildly. She didn't know these men, yet she had already told them so much. She had told them much more than she had ever told anyone. There was still more to tell, but she wasn't ready to talk about it. She wouldn't ever be ready to talk about it.  
  
Jim had pulled a chair away from the kitchen table. He and Blair were standing there waiting for her. Savanna felt like a little girl who had got her hand caught in the cookie jar and was about to be punished for it.  
  
Then she remembered they weren't going to hurt her. At least they said they weren't going to hurt her. Savannah wasn't sure if she could believe that or not. With Jim being a cop Savannah was more than likely going to jail. She wasn't sure she liked that scenario.  
  
Right now though it was either these two or D'Angelo. Savannah was much more willing to deal with Jim and Blair as opposed to the sadistic drug lord.  
  
Savannah walked over and straddled the chair. She let the top of the robe drop off her shoulders. She used her right hand to hold the fabric up in front so she wasn't exposed, and let it fall down in the rear to expose her wounded back.  
  
There were various types of antiseptics and multiple gauze pads on the table. Savannah practically had her own private hospital.  
  
Jim grabbed the peroxide off the table and poured a fair amount on a clean washcloth. "This is probably going to hurt."  
  
"What else is new?" Savannah mumbled.  
  
Jim began wiping the cloth over Savannah's back. At first contact the young woman cried out and gripped the chair with her free hand.  
  
Blair walked in front of her, so that they were face to face. He wanted to find a way to get her mind of the pain.  
  
"What about your father?" He asked.  
  
She looked up at him curiously. "What?"  
  
"Your father. You never said anything about him."  
  
Savannah started to shrug, but thought better of it. "My father is dead. He was killed in a car accident when I was a little girl."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Blair said.  
  
"That's life right?" She replied solemnly.  
  
"How did your mom get hooked on drugs?" Blair continued. He was trying to keep her talking so her mind wouldn't be focused solely on the pain.  
  
"What is this twenty questions?" She snapped. "My family life is my business, so back off!"  
  
"Calm down Savannah," Jim said while applying an antibiotic cream to her back. "He was just trying to help."  
  
"It's all right Jim. She's right I shouldn't have pried."  
  
They all sat in silence until Jim finished bandaging the wounds. When he was finished Savannah stood up and was surprised at how tired she felt. Her arms and legs felt as if sandbags had been attached to them weighing her entire body down. Her head felt as if it weighed two metric tons and she didn't even want to thin about the heftiness of her eyelids.  
  
"I think you need to get some sleep," Jim said.  
  
Savannah nodded.  
  
"You can have my room," Blair offered. "I'll take the couch."  
  
Savannah wanted to disagree, but she was so tired she couldn't even talk. She went to take a step towards the couch, but didn't make it their due to the fact that her knees buckled and she collapsed.  
  
Jim scooped the practically unconscious Savannah in his arms. Just looking at her he knew she was exhausted. After all she'd been through he couldn't blame her. Jim took her up stairs and put her in Blair's bed. He covered her with the blanket and walked back down to the living room where Blair was setting up the couch.  
  
"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Blair asked.  
  
The Sentinel sighed. "I think she is, especially after seeing her back."  
  
"Is she going to go to jail?" Blair questioned as he sat on his bed for the night.  
  
Jim sat in the recliner. "I don't know Chief. I can probably have the DA strike a deal. I mean she did it to save her mom, and the fact that he beat her to make her continue after the debt was paid off says something. They'll probably give her probation for her testimony."  
  
Blair nodded. "That's good. She doesn't belong in jail. Hell she's barely an adult."  
  
Ellison raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure she's as old as she says she is."  
  
"She does look a little young," Blair concurred. "But if she's been malnourished over the past several years that could also be the reason."  
  
"I don't know Chief. I just know that this girl has got herself in a lot of trouble."  
  
The two men both turned in shortly after the conversation. It was sometime in the middle of the night that Blair woke up to Savannah sitting on the edge of the couch.  
  
"Savannah what's wrong?" He questioned sitting up.  
  
She smiled. "Nothing," She replied leaning in to kiss Blair.  
  
At first Blair didn't know how to respond. He gently pushed her back. "Savannah what are you doing?"  
  
"Thanking you. I mean if it weren't for you I'd probably be dead in the street now." She kissed him again and put her hand on his groin.  
  
Blair quickly pulled her hand away.  
  
"What's wrong?" Savannah asked with a puzzled expression. "I'm just trying to thank you."  
  
Blair was truly shocked to think that this young woman thought that the best way to think him was with sexual favors. "You don't have to thank me this way," He told her gently.  
  
"Of course I do. It's how women like me thank men."  
  
"What do you mean women like you?"  
  
Savannah shook her head and smiled softly. "Why are we talking? I can make you feel so good Blair. Let me make you feel good."  
  
She leaned in to kiss him again, but he stopped her. "Savannah I'm not going to take advantage of you. If you really want to thank me than you'll testify against D'Angelo."  
  
Savannah jerked away from him and stood up. She stormed over to the window and hugged herself tightly.  
  
Blair walked up behind her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're not going to let anything happen to you."  
  
Savannah smiled sadly. "When I first went to work for D'Angelo there was another girl about my age already working for him. The only difference between us was that she was hooked on heroin. Half the time she wouldn't make a full delivery because she had gotten high off the stuff. I kept telling her to stop ya know. I told her that D was going to kill her if she didn't, but I don't think she could help it."  
  
Blair listened silently as Savannah told her story. He didn't want to interrupt for fear she would close down.  
  
"One time D caught her," She continued. "He beat the living hell out of her Blair. I mean she was ten times worse than what I am now. I was surprised she even survived."  
  
"So what happened?" He asked.  
  
"When she was up to D made her start selling again," Savannah laughed bitterly. "The dumb bitch started using again. No matter how much I pleaded or tried to help her, she just wouldn't stop. D caught her again and he...."  
  
"He what?" Blair asked when she trailed off.  
  
She turned to face him with tear filled blue eyes. "Let's just say that no matter what you do, you just can't save everyone."  
  
"He killed her," Blair stated.  
  
Savannah nodded. "He wanted to teach her lesson. The beatings didn't work so he pumped her so full of heroin that she died of her own addiction."  
  
"He told you what he did to her?"  
  
"I wish he had only told me!" Savannah exclaimed. "No he made me, and three others watch. He said that's what would happen if we stole from him."  
  
Blair's heart broke for this woman. Her life had been hell. He wanted to do anything and everything he could to help her. "Savannah what did you mean when you said that this is how women like you please men like me?" It had been bugging him since she said it.  
  
Savannah shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She walked past him to the stairs. She walked halfway up and turned back to him. "Blair?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Savannah nodded and continued into Blair's room. The young guide sighed and returned to the couch. He dwelled on the thought of Savannah until a sleep took him.  
  
Please Review!!! 


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks for the reviews..Here's the next chapter.  
  
Early the next morning Cascade was damp, dank, and cold. Swollen storm clouds blanketed the sky threatening to release a fierce rain. Thunder rumbled so loudly it shook the windows of the loft.  
  
Jim and Blair were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Savannah had not yet woken up, but just to make sure she was still around Jim had peaked into her room earlier. Savannah was snuggled under his robe and the blanket sleeping soundly. He silently wondered how long it had been since she had a good night sleep. That had been twenty minutes ago.  
  
Blair took a sip of tea and put the cup down. "So what are we doing?"  
  
Jim swallowed the piece of bacon he had been chewing on before answering. "We go down to the station, take her statement and then she goes into protective custody while we pick up D' Angelo."  
  
"Protective custody?" Blair asked in disbelief. "Jim she's never going to go for that."  
  
"She doesn't exactly have a choice Chief."  
  
Blair sighed and sat back in his chair.  
  
Jim looked over at his friend. "You getting attached to her?"  
  
"I like her yes, but that's not it."  
  
"Then what's up Chief?"  
  
He sighed again. "She came on to me last night."  
  
Jim raised an eyebrow. "And?"  
  
Blair relayed everything that had happened last night, including the story that Savannah had told Blair about her friend.  
  
"D'Angelo forced her to watch?"  
  
Blair nodded.  
  
Jim leaned forward on his elbows. "I don't know what to say Chief. I mean the good news is now we can get him on murder charges."  
  
"Yeah, but the bad news is that D'Angelo knows this and is probably going to do whatever it takes to keep that from happening." Blair finished for him.  
  
"He's going to try," Jim stated. "But with her being in protective custody that's not going to happen."  
  
"Come on Jim, what about what happened with Maya?"  
  
Jim scoffed. "Chief Maya gave away her own location."  
  
"I know, I know, but think about all the resources D'Angelo has," Blair tucked a strand of curls behind his ear. "Don't you think she'd be safer with us?"  
  
"No, I think she'd be safer at an undisclosed location with multiple officers watching over her."  
  
"Jim, come on."  
  
Jim held up a hand to silence his partner. "Shh." He used his sentinel ability to listen for Savannah. Her heartbeat was suddenly pounding wildly. He heard her crying, but whether she was awake or asleep he wasn't sure. He got up and started for the stairs.  
  
"Jim what is it?" Blair asked following.  
  
Jim looked back at him. "Let me handle this one Chief. Two of us might be too much for her at the moment."  
  
Blair nodded and Jim hurried up the stairs. When he arrived Savannah was on her right side, shivering fiercely. Sweat had matted her raven hair to her face. Jim sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Savannah," He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Savannah wake up."  
  
Her eyes fluttered opened. She jerked away from his body and pushed herself against the headboard. Her eyes had become wide and frantic, searching back and forth to figure out where she was.  
  
"Whoa, Whoa, calm down. You're safe."  
  
Savannah didn't say anything. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would burst through her chest. Her chest felt tight and her body just wouldn't stop shaking.  
  
For a moment Savannah thought she was back with D'Angelo. She thought he was sitting there, waiting for her to...  
  
"Savannah," Jim's voice cut through her thoughts.  
  
She turned her head towards him, eyes still wide, heart still beating harder than a rock drummer slamming on his drums.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Slowly she nodded. "F..f..f..ine."  
  
"Are you sure."  
  
She nodded again. "Yeah." Savannah threw the covers off of her. "It's hot."  
  
Jim realized Savannah was still wearing his robe. It was a thick, fleece material. He could see how she was hot. Taking another look at her face, he realized that her cheeks had a very ruddish tint to them. "Are you feeling well?"  
  
Honestly Savannah's body was achy, and weak. She felt as thought she was on fire. "Do you have anything lighter I can put on?"  
  
Jim nodded. "I'll be right back."  
  
Savannah lay on her side as Jim walked out. She pushed the fleece cloth back from her legs and loosened it a bit around her waist so that air would circulate. She felt nauseous and not surprisingly, tired.  
  
Jim came back in a few minutes later with a cool cloth and a large blue t- shirt. He handed Savannah the cloth and she gratefully took it, wiping her face, arms and legs. Then she gave Jim a slight glare.  
  
"You know this isn't a peep show," She snapped. "I can still dress myself."  
  
"A thank you would have been appreciated," Jim stated sarcastically. "But I'll just wait outside the door." He turned and walked out.  
  
After Jim left her alone, Savannah stripped out of the robe and wiped the cool rag down the length of her body. By the time she was finished the rag was warm and she felt a little cooler, and a lot better.  
  
Savannah threw the over sized t-shirt on. It fell to her knees, but it was loose and cool, and that's all she cared about at the moment.  
  
"You can come back in now," She called out. She knew Jim was waiting outside the door.  
  
Jim entered a moment later. Savannah was sitting on the edge of the bed. Jim sat down next to her. The fact that she scooted a few inches away wasn't lost on him.  
  
"How are you feeling now?" He asked.  
  
"Better." She replied. "Thanks."  
  
"Your welcome." Then Jim added. "You still look a little flushed."  
  
He went to put a hand to her forehead, but she pulled away. "I'm fine!" She snapped.  
  
"I didn't mean to.."  
  
Savannah cut him off. "Don't worry about it."  
  
He nodded. "Listen I want to take you down to the station today. We'll get your statement and then put you in protective custody before we pick up D'Angelo."  
  
"You mean I'm not staying with you?" Savannah half yelled. "Protective custody wasn't part of the deal!" She jumped up from the bed and started pacing. "He'll find me in protective custody. He'll find me and kill me." She shook her head. "No way, the deals off."  
  
"Savannah calm down," Jim said walking over to her.  
  
"Don't tell me to calm down," She yelled, backing up from him. "You have no idea what you're asking of me. I'm not going into protective custody, now or ever!" Savannah wrapped her arms around herself hugging herself tightly.  
  
Jim took another step towards her and Savannah took a step away.  
  
"I'm just trying to help," Jim said, holding up his hands in surrender.  
  
Thunder resounded through out the loft and all the lights went out, leaving them in a silhouette of darkness.  
  
"What's going on?" Savannah questioned frantically. "What happened?"  
  
"It's all right, it's just a power outage."  
  
A minute stream of light flowed through the darkness. "You guys okay?" Blair asked.  
  
"Yeah Chief, we're all right."  
  
Blair walked over and handed Jim a flashlight. Jim flipped it on and there were two rays of light in the room. Jim aimed the beam towards Savannah. She wasn't standing where she had been a moment ago.  
  
"Savannah?" Blair called out.  
  
Lightning flashed, illuminating the room just enough for them to see Savannah huddled in the corner with her face buried in her hands.  
  
"Savannah!" Blair repeated in an alarmed tone. He ran over and kneeled beside her. She was shaking uncontrollably. He put a hand on her shoulder. Savannah shrieked and pulled away from him.  
  
"Get away from me!" She pushed Blair so hard that he fell on his butt. Savannah jumped up and ran past both men out the door.  
  
Jim immediately took off after her. Blair wasn't far behind. By the time they got to the top of the stairs Savannah was already half way across the living room.  
  
"Savannah stop!" Jim yelled.  
  
"Damn she's fast," Blair stated.  
  
Savannah didn't hear their words. After the lights went out she only saw D. D was standing over her, just like the first time. She couldn't let D hurt her, not now, not ever again. She'd die the first.  
  
Savannah ran out the door into the pouring rain. She ran directly into the middle of the street. She was confused, disoriented. She stopped, not knowing which way to run.  
  
A horn blared and Savannah felt something hard impact into her side. The next thing she knew she was lying on the sidewalk staring up into Jims face.  
  
"Savannah are you all right?" He asked in an alarmed voice.  
  
Blair's face appeared next to Jim's. "Savannah?"  
  
They both seemed so worried about her. Why would anyone worry about her? Savannah didn't understand it.  
  
"Savannah can you hear me?" Jim asked.  
  
Savannah nodded. "I'm all right."  
  
"Don't move, I'll call an ambulance," Blair told her.  
  
"No, I'm fine." She said as she started to push herself up.  
  
Jim put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down. "Just relax."  
  
She sighed. "I'm fine, really. Just help me sit up."  
  
Savannah held out her hands, Jim took the left and Blair took the right. The gently eased her up. She smiled at them. "See no dizziness, no blood, I'm fine."  
  
"Well I wouldn't say no blood," Jim told her. He gently twisted her arm so that she could see the gash that was on the inside of her forearm.  
  
"Okay, so a little blood, but I'm still fine."  
  
Sentinel and Guide exchanged a glance. Savannah was acting as though nothing had happened.  
  
"Hey is everything all right?" An elderly woman asked walking up to them.  
  
"Yes ma'am, everything's fine," Jim told her. He pulled his badge out of his pocket. "I'm Cascade PD. I have everything under control."  
  
By this time a considerable amount of people had circled around them.  
  
"Can we please go back inside?" Savannah pleaded.  
  
Jim nodded and then scooped her up off the ground.  
  
"I can walk you know."  
  
"Enlighten me," He replied.  
  
When they were back in the loft Jim set Savannah down on the couch. She was shivering, but this time from the cold. All three of them were soaked from head to toe. Blair took the blanket he had used from last night and wrapped it around Savannah.  
  
"Thank you," Savannah whispered. Back in the secluded darkness of the loft her heart was racing again. She told herself to shake it off. D'Angelo wasn't anywhere near her. He had no clue as to where Savannah was.  
  
"Savannah what happened back there?" Jim asked sitting next to her.  
  
Jim didn't need his sentinel ability to see her tense up at the question.  
  
"I don't suppose you'd accept teenage hormones as a viable answer would you?"  
  
PLEASE REVIEW 


	5. Chapter 5

"Well I can't chalk it up to teenage hormones unless you're a teenager," Jim said, raising an eyebrow.

Savannah's eye's widened as she realized the mistake she had made. "Which of course I'm not," She said, hoping he would believe her.

"Nice try," Jim said. "I want the truth this time. All of it."

Savannah was so tired. Last night had been the first night she'd been able to sleep comfortably in a long time, but it didn't make up for the last few weeks. Of course it could also have to do with the fact that her arm was sleeping blood. It was a good thing she had dove out of the way of that car. If she hadn't she'd be road kill right now.

Between the adrenaline and the tiredness Savannah knew she could no longer hold up the lie she had been telling. "Most of what I told you is true," She said. "My mother was a drug addict and I did cut that deal with D'Angelo. However I was fourteen when I did it."

"You were just a kid," Blair said.

She nodded. "That was three years ago."

"So you're only seventeen?" Jim asked.

Savannah didn't answer. Her hip hurt like hell from hitting the street and her arm was still bleeding. "Can I have a paper towel or something," She asked.

She pulled her arm out of the blanket to show them it was still bleeding.

"I'll get some bandages," Blair said standing and walking over to the counter. All of the creams and antiseptics were still there from the previous night. "You know this is twice in two days you were almost hit by car. Maybe it's time you stopped running. It's becoming hazardous to your health."

"Living is hazardous to my health," Savannah said sardonically.

"Savannah, why did you lose it when the lights went out?" Jim asked gently. He didn't want to upset her again, but he wanted the truth.

The young girl swallowed the lump in her throat. "The first time D'Angelo hurt me there was a thunderstorm like this one. The lights went out and it was dark."

Blair came back over and started cleaning her arm. "And you saw D'Angelo when the lights went out?"

"I couldn't get him out of my head," Savannah said. "I've been running from him for weeks now and I can't even get away from him in my head." She was near hysterics.

"Calm down," Jim said. "Take a deep breath." After Savannah had done so he said, "You've been through a traumatic experience. It's understandable that you were scared, but you have to stop running. You have to face this and him."

She shook her head vigorously, black wisps of hair flying in her face. "No, no I can't. You don't understand! You weren't there!" Tears began to slip from Savannah's blue eyes.

"Jim's right," Blair said. "If you keep running you'll never be able to move on with your life."

Savannah kept shaking her head. She pulled her half bandaged arm away from Blair and began rocking back and forth. "No, no, no, no," She said.

"Savannah," Jim said calmly. "Savannah calm down."

"No, no, no, no."

Jim sat on the couch next to her. "Savannah you have to calm down."

"I can't breathe," She said frantically. "I can't breathe." Her breath was coming in short, ragged gasps.

"Savannah you're having an anxiety attack," Blair said. "You're going to make yourself pass out if you don't calm down."

Jim wrapped his arms around Savannah. She screamed. She began thrashing wildly, trying to break Jim's hold on her.

"A little help Chief?" Jim said trying to hold on to the hysterical girl.

Blair grabbed onto Savannah's legs.

"It's all right Savannah," Jim said gently. "Let it out."

Savannah continued thrashing, screaming, and crying in their arms. "No, don't hurt me please."

"We're not going to hurt you," Blair said. "You're safe."

Savannah kept struggling and screaming. She was trying to flail her arms and legs, but Jim and Blair had a good hold on them. She cried and she whimpered, scared out of her mind that someone was going to hurt her. They held onto Savannah until she finally stopped struggling. She just lay in their arms, sniffling and hiccupping from her hysterics.

"I'm sorry," She said softly, voice hoarse.

"Shh," Blair said, releasing his grip on her legs. "Just relax."

"I don't know why I did that," She said.

"You've held it all in for three years," Jim said. "It had to come out some time."

"I feel like an idiot."

"Don't," Jim said. "No one here thinks you're an idiot."

Savannah moved her head so she could look up at him. Her upper body was still encased by his arms. "I don't understand this."

"Understand what?" Jim asked.

"Why are you helping me? No ones ever helped me before."

"We're helping you because you need help," He said.

Savannah still didn't understand. He said it so simply as if it was no big deal. "You don't even know me."

"Why do I have to know you to want to help you?"

Savannah shook her head. "I'm so confused." She sat up so that she neither of them were holding her anymore. She looked at the frayed bandages on her arm. "I'm sorry for pulling away from you like that," She told Blair.

He waved it off. "Don't worry about it." He sat up. "I can take care of it."

Blair went to work on Savannah's arm. She leaned back on the couch and grimaced.

"Still hurts?" Jim asked.

She nodded.

"Savannah, would you want someone else to go through what you went through?" Jim asked.

"No," She replied. "No, what I went through was hell."

"Than please, you need to come down to the station with me and make a statement. You need to stand against D'Angelo," He said. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"You won't be there to protect me," Savannah said. "You're throwing me into a safe house."

"Can I talk to you for a second Jim?" Blair asked. He was finished wrapping Savannah's arm.

"Sure Chief," Jim said. "Well be right back."

They walked over to the kitchen.

"Jim we can't put her in a safe house," Blair said quietly so that Savannah wouldn't hear them. "If we do she's never going to testify against him."

"She can't stay here," Jim said.

"We've had witnesses stay here before," Blair said crossing his arms over his chest. "Why not her?"

"Because we need to be out looking for D'Angelo," Jim argued. "Who's going to protect her if we're not here?"

"I'll stay with her," Blair said. "You can look for D'Angelo and I'll take care of Savannah."

Jim sighed.

"Come on Jim she's a wreck. If we send her into a safe house she's going to close up and we won't have anything to use against D'Angelo."

Blair waited while Jim mulled it over in it his head.

"Fine," Jim said. "But I'm having officers posted outside the door. I don't anyone getting at her or you."

Blair nodded. "Fine with me."

They walked back into the living room to tell Savannah, but the girl was fast asleep on the couch. Jim hated to wake her up, but they needed to get her down to the station.

He walked over and gently shook her shoulder. "Savannah, come on I need you to wake up."

Savannah moaned groggily and opened her eyes. "What is it?"

Jim sat down on the edge of the couch. "Blair and I talked it over. You can stay here at the loft."

She smiled softly. "Really?"

Jim nodded. "Really, but you have to stay in doors. No more running into the streets and you must testify against D'Angelo, that's the deal."

The smile faltered. "You really won't let anything happen to me?"

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you," Jim said.

She nodded. "I'll do it."

Savannah couldn't believe those words had just come out of her mouth. She had just signed her own death warrant and she knew it.


End file.
